Three new rat colon tumour cell lines from 1,2-dimethylhydrazine induced adenocarcinomas: morphology, karyotype and clonogenicity.

Three different tumour cell lines (Per113, Per192, Per237) were established from colon adenocarcinomas induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) inbred male Wistar/Wag rats. Each cell line had epithelial morphology and an abnormal karyotype. The three cell lines were clonogenic in semi-solid medium, but differed in growth factor response, culture characteristics and karyotype. Each cell line was stimulated differentially by epidermal growth factor (EGF) and bombesin in culture. Only Per192 would passage in vivo in athymic nude mice. Per 113 had modal chromosome number of 70 with multiple structural abnormalities; Per237 had 43 chromosomes with consistent trisomy of chromosome I; 20-25% of the cells in line Per192 were in the tetraploid range with multiple copies of chromosome I.